India left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav has said that playing all three forms “is a luxury,” but despite fierce competition, his attacking mentality has kept him relevant.
In order to prepare for the South Africa Tests, Kuldeep returned home from Australia midway through a five-match T201 series. Despite the hosts’ 30-run defeat, he had a respectable effect in Kolkata, collecting four wickets.
With 342 wickets in all formats, Kuldeep’s value cannot be overstated, and he intends to keep concentrating on match fitness to be relevant in the game’s longest format, if not all of them.
“Obviously, you want to play in all formats, but if you get a chance to play Test cricket, you enjoy it. Playing in all formats for India is a luxury,” Kuldeep said on JioStar’s ‘Follow The Blues’.
“Everyone loves Test cricket. It’s a format that everyone enjoys, but it’s also very challenging. The next 4-5 years are very important for me in Test cricket, so I will focus on maintaining my fitness and keep performing like this,” he added.
Kuldeep also mentioned that he has a clear understanding of his role and the team management’s support, which enables him to approach games with an offensive mindset.
“I am very clear as an attacking bowler, I know my role over the years. The coach and the captain have given me a lot of clarity and support. I always keep an attacking mindset and bowl accordingly. That’s my job; taking wickets. That’s how they (coaches) look at me.”
India pacer Mohammed Siraj claimed that playing against formidable opponents like South Africa helps players develop their skills and confidence.
“When you’re playing against a good team, and you’re bowling against good batsmen and taking their wickets, you get a lot of confidence. Because when you play against a strong team, you quickly realise where you’re making a mistake.
“So, it’s good that I’m playing against a team like South Africa. It’s a lot of fun,” said Siraj.
In order to maximize daylight hours and finish the requisite quota of overs, tea will be taken prior to the lunch break in the Guwahati Test due to the early sunrise and sunset in the northeast region during this time of year.
While day-night Tests have become routine, the BCCI opted for a daytime match because of the rapidly fading light in the north-eastern region.
South Africa batter Aiden Markram expressed his disapproval of the idea even though he thought it would be a “interesting” break from the norm.
“It’s interesting. I’m not the biggest fan of it, to be honest. I think Test cricket should always start at 10 a.m. with lunch followed by tea. But those are the cards you’re dealt, and you just get on with it. It’ll be something different to experience, but hopefully, it doesn’t become a common thing.”
Regardless of the modifications to the routine, Proteas spinner Keshav Maharaj stated that the current World Test champions were here to compete.
“We actually heard about it (tea before lunch) recently. It’s an interesting one, but you can understand the thinking behind it. Sunlight becomes a factor, so they’re trying to maximise playing time.
“We respect the rules put in place, and we’re here to compete and give our best as a South African unit,” said Maharaj.
